One of Britain's best-known actresses,
SYLVIA SYMS trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
and was already performing on stage by the time she was spotted for films by director Herbert
Wilcox and his wife, the British star Anna Neagle. She played Neagle's problem daughter in MY
TEENAGE DAUGHTER (1956), followed by another Neagle/Wilcox collaboration with NO TIME
FOR TEARS (1957).

Syms's film credits in the late 1950s and early 1960s include ICE-COLD IN ALEX (1958), FERRY
TO HONG KONG (1959), CONSPIRACY OF HEARTS (1960), EXPRESSO BONGO (1960), THE
WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (1960) and VICTIM (1961).

She was nominated three times for British Film Academy Awards, twice for best actress in
WOMAN IN A DRESSING GOWN (1957), and NO TREES IN THE STREET (1958), and once for
supporting actress in THE TAMARIND SEED (1974).

More recently she has featured in ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1986), SHIRLEY VALENTINE (1989),
SHINING THROUGH (1992), I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD (2003) and THE POSEIDON
ADVENTURE (2005).